Sometimes a misfortune can be a blessing in disguise. Just like when Renato Belen’s rambutan, durian, bananas and other high-value fruit trees in San Pablo City were virtually wiped out by super Typhoon Milenyo last September. Those fruit crops in his 16-hectare farm had been providing him a handsome income in the past years. Now, he does not expect to harvest anything from their replacement in the next three years.
Instead of sulking in a dark corner, however, Belen had to think fast. He immediately thought of growing high-value vegetables in his once shady orchard in front of his house which had become an open space.
Why vegetables? Because they can be harvested within a short time from planting. They are also in demand at a good price. He initially chose cauliflower and broccoli which are not commonly grown in the lowland such as San Pablo. He had earlier learned from the seed supplier that the White Baron variety of cauliflower and Top Green variety of broccoli grow well under lowland conditions in the months of May to December. He was not sure if they will also perform well in the hotter months of January to March. Anyway, he had to try planting them in these months to find out. And to his surprise, they came out with outstanding results.
His cauliflower produced heads that weighed 450 grams to as much as 1,500 grams or 1.5 kilos each! They were even better than most cauliflowers grown in the highlands. His broccoli also performed exceptionally well. His cauliflower and broccoli plants were so impressive that his garden became an attraction in their barangay. Neighbors and motorists passing by could hardly believe that such vegetables could be successfully produced in San Pablo City. Groups of farmers from neighboring towns have also visited his vegetable garden.
Now, Belen is determined to grow high-value vegetables year round. He will plant cauliflower in at least half hectare. He has also added Diamante tomato, an all-season variety developed by EastWest Seed Company, among the vegetables he is producing.
What’s notable about Belen’s vegetables is that they are organically grown. He uses purely organic compost from his own pig farm and he controls pests by using commercially prepared biological pesticides, including powdered chili. He also prevents fungal attack by spraying his plants with vermi tea which has been proven to possess anti-fungal properties.
Belen also has an innovative way of preparing his plots for planting his vegetables. Instead of plowing the soil, he built upraised beds. He made use of his fallen trees by sawing them to produce lumber slabs which he used as frames for his vegetable plots. He filled the frames with compost produced from hog manure and other farm wastes. The plots measured 1.2 meters wide, 15 meters long and 20 cm high. To enhance the population of beneficial microorganisms in the plots, he sprayed the growing medium with a solution of EM or effective microorganisms developed by a Japanese scientist and distributed in the Philippines.
In the first four weeks, Belen watered his cauliflower and broccoli plants once in the morning and once more in the afternoon. After that, the plants were watered only in the morning up to harvest time. Vermicast or earthworm casting was also side-dressed one week after transplanting. Vermi tea was also sprayed on the leaves every now and then. Also, he soaked a sackful of vermicast in water and used the liquid to water his plants.
Belen has other projects to increase cash how from his farm. He has so far planted 2,500 Sinta papaya seedlings, planting the first batch of 1,500 last January 15, followed by 1,000 seedlings last March 10. Papaya is also a good money crop. The first harvest of ripe fruits is usually made eight months from planting the seedlings.
He is also preparing seedlings of hybrid and aromatic coconuts. He intends to produce buko for sale on` eight hectares. The coconuts will be intercropped with his high-value fruit trees. He expects to fully rehabilitate his orchard in four years.
Meanwhile, he will be depending on his high-value vegetables for his cash flow while waiting for his fruit trees to be productive. ■
“Lowland Cauliflower Produces Big Head”
Written by Mr. Zac B. Sarian, Editor of Agriculture Magazine
Source: Agriculture Magazine (May 2007)
(posted as well by www.agribusinessweek.com)
